Educational Technology Funding of NCLB Grows

According to the State Educational Technology Directors Association, educational technology funding of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) at the state level grew to slightly more than $635 million in 2004, a significant increase from $595 million in 2002. This funding was awarded through 1,630 competitive grants and 13,667 formula grants to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Professional development continues to be a main concern: More than 90 percent of the states rank it as a top priority. The report shows that states are exceeding the required 25 percent of NCLB II D funding mandated for professional development and that more than $159 million was dedicated to training teachers in effective technology use, integrating technology into curricula and encouraging best-practice instructional methods. The states have taken different approaches to ensuring that high-quality professional development is a component in the competitive grants awarded.

State Methods

Applicants were required to provide professional development approaches and methods aligned to standards for effective professional development.
Percentage: 56.9%

Quality of the professional development proposed was evaluated in the scoring process according to evidence-based principles.
Percentage: 66.7%

Request for proposals included guidelines and directives about acceptable types of effective professional development.
Percentage: 64.7%

Applicants were provided with guidelines for characteristics of effective professional development.
Percentage: 58.8%

SOURCE: STATE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOG Y DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION, NATIONAL TRENDS: ENHANCING EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND TITLE, II D – YEAR THREE IN REVIEW, MARCH 2006

Growth in Telecommunications

Telecommunications is expected to increase from an estimated $8.64 billion in 2005 to $12.5 billion in 2020, due to the spread of Internet Protocol telephony and high-speed broadband services.

$12.5 in Billion in 2020
$8.64 Billion in 2005

$3.07 Billion: Wireline Data Expenditures in 2005
$821 Million: Wireline Voice and Data Expenditures in 2005
$4.75 Billion: Wireline Voice Expenditures in 2005

Of the telecom spending in 2005, $4.75 billion went to wireline voice expenditures, $3.07 billion went to wireline data expenditures, and $821 million went to wireless voice and data expenditures.

SOURCE: FROST & SULLIVAN, U.S. EDUCATION VERTICAL TELECOMSERVICES MARKETS, APRIL 2006

EdTech Spending Stays Strong

Overall education IT spending is estimated to grow from $46.5 billion in 2005 to $62 billion by 2010 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.8 percent. K-12 expenditures are expected to reach $16.8 billion in 2006 and will continue to grow to $20.8 billion in 2010. Education spending in telecommunications services and equipment, computer hardware and third-party services will see the strongest growth in IT spending through 2010.

Computer Hardware
2006:
$10.3
2010:
$13.3

Network Infrastructure
2006:
$2.6
2010:
$2.6

IT Personal
2006:
$10.2
2010:
$11.8

Outsourcing and Hosted Services
2006:
$3.7
2010:
$4.7

NOTE: FIGURES ARE IN BILLIONS. BLUE IS 2006; BEIGE IS 2010.
SOURCE: IN-STAT, INDUSTRY UPDATE: EDUCATION VERTICAL MARKET DEEP DIVE: IT SPENDING, JUNE 2006